Emergency or Economic Leverage? New US Tariffs Under the WTO Exceptions and Their Impact on Asia-Pacific

Nikita Melashchenko · NZCIEL · (21 March 2025) · opinion · source ↗︎

This blog post examines the United States’ new 10% tariff on Chinese goods, which it claims is a response to a national emergency linked to synthetic opioids. China has challenged the measure at the WTO, arguing it does not meet the requirements for general or security exceptions. The post explains that under WTO rules, such exceptions need a clear connection between the measure and the objective, and that the broad nature of the US tariffs may not satisfy this test.

The post also discusses how the US may try to justify its actions under the WTO’s security exception, but highlights that WTO rules require even security measures to be objectively justified. It notes that Asia-Pacific countries, including New Zealand, should stress that such exceptions should be applied narrowly, warning that overuse of security claims could damage the multilateral trading system, especially for small, trade-dependent economies.